Improvement in the manufacture of water-gas



w, H., GWYNNE. Manufacture of Water Gas Patented Aug. 11, 1863.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

H. GWYNNE, OF WVHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WATER-GAS.

Specific-a1 ion forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,480, dated August11,1863.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, W. H. GWYNNE, of the town of White Plains, county ofWestchester, State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Methodof Decomposing Water; and Ihereby declare that the following is a fulland exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in providing a retort of suitableform and size, heated to redness, and filled to a proper depth withmetal of any kind capable of absorbing oxygen, and then passing jets ofsteam through and over the melted material, which steam is therebydecomposed, the oxygen combining with the metal, forming oxides of themetals used. When iron is used, black oxide is formed. If the metal iszinc, White oxide is produced, and like operations take place varyin gwith the decomposing materials employed, and it is well known that manyof the oxides are commercially valuable. The hydrogen is set free at thesame time the oxygen is absorbed, thereby producing hydrogen gas, whichmay be used for heating, lighting, or other purposes, either alone or incom .)ination with other gases, hydrocarbons, or by means of materialsheated to incandescence, thereby producing heat or light at reasonableexpense.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

I use aretort, of metal, clay, or other suitable material, of any formdesired. I place on the bottom of retort a coil of pipe or a box orcasting with a circulating-passage therein, as shown in Figures 2 and 3,for the purpose of heating the steam before it enters the decomposingmaterial. The circulation has at its extreme end a number of fine holes,(shown in Fig. 2, marked B 13,) for the purpose of delivering the steamin fine jets through the decomposing matter.

Figure 1 shows aretort which may be varied, according to circumstances,in shape or size.

To operate the apparatus it is necessary to heat retort, Fig. 1, toredness, and fill the retort with a proper quantity of decomposingmaterial-say, sufficient when melted to cover retort about four inchesin depth over the circulating-pipe, Figs. 2 and 3, or a suitable streamof melted metal may be run directly into retort by pipe A, Fig. 8. Whensnficient decomposing matter is in retort, the valve (D, Fig. 3, isopened, when the steam is admitted into circulating pipe, Figs. 2 and 3,where it is superheated and distributed through the red-hot material,and is decomposed into oxygen and hydrogen gases, the former gascombining with the metal and the latter, being set free, passes out thestand-pipe I) into the washer end, purifies, and thence to thegasometer, where it may be stored for use; or, it so desired, it may,before being purified, pass into another retort containing hydrocarbons,and made into illuminating-gas. If oxides of lead orzinc or othermetals, which sublime at high temperatures, be wanted, it will beadvisable to attach a subliming-chamber to retort for that purpose.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

Passing steam, superheated or otherwise, through melted metal or ores,for the purposes described and shown.

W. H. GWVYNNE.

YVitnesses:

H. HOLDREGE, THOMAS DONOHUE.

